Eugen von Blaas

From Idle Speculation comes this... Eugen von Blaas was born in 1843 in the small Italian suburb of Albano, located ten miles outside of Rome on the Appian Way. But his parentage and nationality were Austrian.

As an artist he was painter in the school known as Academic Classicism.

His interest in art was strongly encouraged by his father, Carl von Blaas, (1815-1894), a well-known artist in his own right and creator of the frescoes in the Arsenal in Vienna.

From 1870 he lived with his wife and famiy in Venice.

Von Blaas was a deeply religious man.

He embraced the subject of religion throughout his career, more...

A partial list of his works may be found here...

Jhesu+Marie,
Brantigny

Kandahar comes out of the closet

Working in a prison, I have from time to time stood in for the Chaplain and monitored the muslims, who assure each other that there is no homosexuality in Islam. This is not true as I have seen the things discribed in the following article in Bahran.

FROM Middle east org. by TIM REID

Our correspondent sees the gay capital of South Asia throw off
strictures of the Taleban

NOW that Taleban rule is over in Mullah Omar's former southern stronghold, it is not only televisions, kites and razors which have begun to emerge. Visible again, too, are men with their ashna, or beloveds: young boys
they have groomed for sex.

Another country made safe for democracy.

Jhesu+Marie,
Brantigny

H1N1 Flu

In a preview of things to come, the county I live in, as well as the rest of the State of North Carolina does not have enough H1n1 flu anti-virus. I know this because my wife attempted to find a place to take my 83 year old mother in law an injection today. After making a series of calls she did finally find one place that was issuing injections to people over 15 years old. If any one doesn't know what that is called I will tell you, it is called rationing. What is the reasoning behind this? First the waited too long to make the serum, then, they made only single use syringes, thus delaying the beginning of the innoculation period. This may be laid at the door of the president who is all too happy to be traveling around the world showing his face, than to doing waht he should in the United States. It is unfortunate that this can not be placed on G.W. Bush.

Now here is the bad story: Drug-resistant H1N1 reported at Duke hospital

As reported by WRAL, Chan 5, Raleigh, NC.

Durham, N.C. — Public health officials confirmed Friday that four patients at Duke University Hospital have a drug-resistant form of the H1N1 influenza virus.

The four patients have been treated at the hospital over the last six weeks, officials said. Last summer, health officials said two people in western North Carolina had a drug-resistant form of the virus.

“Our extensive investigation thus far has revealed that appropriate infection control procedures have been diligently practiced on this isolated unit, and throughout the hospital, and we have experienced no illness among employees taking care of these patients in the affected unit over this period of time,” Dr. Daniel Sexton, professor of medicine and director of the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network, said in a statement. more...

In a related story...

Did U.S. make mistake in skipping vaccine additive?

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor Maggie Fox, Health And Science Editor
Fri Nov 20, 12:36 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – As U.S. health officials struggle to vaccinate tens of millions of Americans against the pandemic of swine flu, some are looking regretfully at one easy way to instantly double or triple the number of doses available -- by using an immune booster called an adjuvant.

These additives, often as simple as an oil and water mixture, broaden the body's response to a vaccine, reducing the amount of active ingredient called antigen needed.

They are widely used in European flu vaccines as well as in Canada. But not in the United States -- even though the federal government has spent nearly $700 million buying them.

The reason -- people might not trust them. More...

Isn't it funny that the oldest are the first ones to suffer in rationing?

Jhesu+Marie,
Brantigny

Birthday of the Emperor Otto

On the 97th anniversary of Kaiser Otto's birthday.

Glücklicher Geburtstag!

Jhesu+Marie,
Brantigny

Scandal

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is funding organizations that engage in activities or profess philosophies that are completely contrary to Church teaching, such as gay marriage, abortion, and birth control. American Life League reveals some of these organizations in its ongoing investigation.

For more details, be sure to visit the source information at http://www.all.org/cchd.



I submit that this charity not be supported.

Now there will be some that will say, "They do so much for the good, that keeping money from them" will only do harm not good. This was actually said to me in the Marine Corps when 100% donations for the United Campaign looked good for the unit. It was even threatened that a dollar would be added in under my name to make 100%. My answer to that is the same as I then used. "This organization is morally unacceptable. Remove all vestiges of support for abortion, remove those staff which have heretofore added these "charities" and I will consider it. Silence implies consent, and I will never consent.

Jhesu+Marie,
Brantigny

Our newest addition to the family

Lauds Tibi Domine!

Last night at 6:47PM my daughter Genevieve and my son-in-law David, delivered to us a baby girl, Audrey Suzanne. The baby was 20.75 in. (52.71 cm.) and 8.14 lbs (3.69 kilos). She has a light brown head of hair and brown eyes. God is an expert craftsman!
Genevieve did not receive and pain meds and the delivery was natural, so the baby is alert and has wide eyes for her new surroundings. Genevieve and David while happy are both tired. Our Odette is a bit tired too.

Jhesu+Marie

November 18, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

"...We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements but a heart that holds back nothing for self..." -- St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

It looks as if my new granddaughter will be born tonight, on the the feast of St Rose.

The Vatican web site says this...

ROSE PHILIPPINE DUCHESNE Was born August 29, 1769 in Grenoble, France. She was baptized in the Church of St. Louis and received the name of Philip, the apostle, and Rose of Lima, first saint of the new continent. She was educated at the Convent of the Visitation of Ste. Marie d'en Haut, then, drawn to the contemplative life, she became a novice there when she was 18 years old.

At the time of the Revolution in France, the community was dispersed and Philippine returned to her family home, spending her time nursing prisoners and helping others who suffered. After the Concordat of 1801, she tried with some companions to reconstruct the monastery of Ste. Marie but without success.

In 1804, Philippine learned of a new congregation, the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and offered herself and the monastery to the Foundress, Mother Madeleine Sophie Barat. Mother Barat visited Ste. Marie in 1804 and received Philippine and several companions as novices in the Society.

Even as Philippine's desire deepened for the contemplative life, so too her call to the missions became more urgent - a call she had heard since her youth. In a letter she wrote to Mother Barat, she confided a spiritual experience she had had during a night of adoration before the Eucharist on Holy Thursday: "I spent the entire night in the new World ... carrying the Blessed Sacrament to all parts of the land ... I had all my sacrifices to offer: a mother, sisters, family, my mountain! When you say to me 'now I send you', I will respond quickly 'I go"'. She waited, however, another 12 years.

In 1818 Philippine's dream was realized. She was sent to respond to the bishop of the Louisiana territory, who was looking for a congregation of educators to help him evangelize the Indian and French children of his diocese. At St. Charles, near St. Louis, Missouri, she founded the first house of the Society outside France. It was in a log cabin - and with it came all the austerities of frontier life: extreme cold, hard work, lack of funds. She also had difficulty learning English. Communication at best was slow; news often did not arrive from her beloved France. She struggled to remain closely united with the Society in France.

Philippine and four other Religious of the Sacred Heart forged ahead. In 1820 she opened the first free school west of the Mississippi. By 1828 she had founded six houses. These schools were for the young women of Missouri and Louisiana. She loved and served them well, but always in her heart she yearned to serve the American Indians. When she was 72 and no longer superior, a school for the Potawatomi was opened at Sugar Creek, Kansas. Though many thought Philippine was too sick to go, the Jesuit head of the mission insisted: "She must come; she may not be able to do much work, but she will assure success to the mission by praying for us. Her very presence will draw down all manner of heavenly favors on the work".

She was with the Potawatomi but a year; however, her pioneer courage did not weaken, and her long hours of contemplation impelled the Indians to name her, Quah-kah-ka-num-ad,"Woman-Who-Prays-Always". But Philippine's health could not sustain the regime of village life. In July 1842, she returned to St. Charles, although her heart never lost its desire for the missions: "I feel the same longing for the Rocky Mountain missions and any others like them, that I experienced in France when I first begged to come to America...".

Philippine died at St. Charles, Missouri, November 18, 1852 at the age of 83.

Thus though the revolution attempted to destroy the Church in France, the blood of the Martyrs of the Faith watered the roots of the Church in America.

Prayer in Honor of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

This is the opening prayer taken from the Mass for the optional memorial of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne.

Gracious God, you filled the heart of Philippine Duchesne with charity and missionary zeal, and gave her the desire to make you known among all peoples. Fill us who honor her memory today, with that same love and zeal to extend your kingdom to the ends of the earth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Jhesu + Marie,
Brantigny

UN: Fight climate change with free condoms

It was only a matter of time for the UN to decide that it is life itself which is causing the "unsubstanciated theory' called global warming...

LONDON – The battle against global warming could be helped if the world slowed population growth by making free condoms and family planning advice more widely available, the U.N. Population Fund said Wednesday.

The agency did not recommend countries set limits on how many children people should have, but said: "Women with access to reproductive health services ... have lower fertility rates that contribute to slower growth in greenhouse gas emissions."

"As the growth of population, economies and consumption outpaces the Earth's capacity to adjust, climate change could become much more extreme and conceivably catastrophic," the report said.

The world's population will likely rise from the current 6.7 billion to 9.2 billion in 2050, with most of the growth in less developed regions, according to a 2006 report by the United Nations.

The U.N. Population Fund acknowledged it had no proof of the effect that population control would have on climate change. "The linkages between population and climate change are in most cases complex and indirect," the report said.

It also said that while there is no doubt that "people cause climate change," the developing world has been responsible for a much smaller share of world's greenhouse gas emissions than developed countries.

Still, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, the U.N. Population Fund's executive director, told a news conference in London on Wednesday that global warming could be catastrophic for people in poor countries, particularly women.

"We have now reached a point where humanity is approaching the brink of disaster," she said.

In three weeks, a global conference will be held in Copenhagen aimed at reaching a deal to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which required 37 industrial countries to cut heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions.

On Wednesday, one analyst criticized the U.N. Population Fund's pronouncements as alarmist and unhelpful.

"It requires a major leap of imagination to believe that free condoms will cool down the climate," said Caroline Boin, a policy analyst at International Policy Network, a London-based think tank.

She also questioned earlier efforts by the agency to control the world's population.

In its 1987 report, the U.N. Population Fund warned that once the global population hit 5 billion, the world "could degenerate into disaster." At the time, the agency said "more vigorous attempts to slow undue population growth" were needed in many countries.

According to Boin, "Numerous environmental indicators show that with development and economic growth we are able to preserve more natural habitats. There is no causal relationship between population density and poverty."

In this month's Bulletin, the World Health Organization's journal, two experts also warned about the dangers of linking fertility to climate change.

"Using the need to reduce climate change as a justification for curbing the fertility of individual women at best provokes controversy and at worst provides a mandate to suppress individual freedoms," wrote WHO's Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum and Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan.more...

Jhesu+Marie,
Brantigny

Benjamin Franklin

I read an article on Marie-Antoinette's Gossip Guide which I found interesting concerning a founding father, Benjamin Franklin. He's the president on the 100 dollar bill... OK, I bet you caught that. Just ask a college student what number president he was and have a laugh.

It seem that not all in France were as enamoured of this Philidelphian as we have been led to believe.

Lauren relates...

While Mr Franklin visited Paris in March of 1778, there were many celebrations in his honour. But not everyone was impressed with the man. At a supper, Madame de Créquy found herself appalled with the presentation and behavior of Mr. Franklin. The first thing that caught her eye was his long hair! She goes on to describe him:

"'like a diocesan of Quimper,' brown coat, brown vest, brown breeches 'and hands of the same colour;' a linen cravat; but most remarkable, of all his way of eating fresh eggs.

He took five or six eggs, broke them into a goblet, put butter, salt, pepper, and mustard; and then 'nourished himself with little spoonfuls of this joli ragoût philadelphique.' He bit his asparagus and took a knife to his melon."

Her final assessment was that he was an unpleasant savage! Mdm de Créquy clearly did not approve of breeches in etiquette, and etiquette at the dinner table was most important.

A wonderful description.

Jhesu+Marie,
Brantigny

3 Posts from Life Site

White House Advisor Indicates Obama Will Work to Abolish Pro-Life Health Amendment
By Kathleen Gilbert

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 16, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a CNN interview Sunday, White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod indicated that President Obama is working with lawmakers to remove the pro-life Stupak amendment from the health care bill.

The Stupak amendment, which was unexpectedly allowed to come up for a vote in the House and then voted into the health bill earlier this month, applies to the bill long-standing federal policy against using government funds for elective abortions.

Axelrod expressed President Obama's antipathy towards the amendment, which Axelrod claimed changes the "status quo" on abortion insurance coverage, in an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union. Click on title to continue"

French Judge Finds Hospital Guilty of "Unreasonable Obstinacy" in Saving Newborn's LifeWhen can saving a life be too much?

By Patrick B. Craine

ORANGE, France, November 16, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A hospital in the south of France has been found guilty of taking excessive measures when they successfully revived a newborn baby that had been declared stillborn. The case was brought by the parents, who are seeking 500,000 euros in damages.

The baby was born in an Orange hospital on December 14, 2002. The baby's heartbeat had dropped during delivery, and the baby seemed to be dead upon birth. After twenty-five minutes of attempted resuscitation, the gynecologist informed the parents that the baby was dead, but staff continued their efforts and the heartbeat returned. The baby has since suffered severe mental and physical disabilities due to the trauma.

The parents' lawyer, Alexandre Berteigne, told lepoint.fr that he was pleased with the decision, which he says is unprecedented in France. "For the first time, a tribunal recognizes that a life without consciousness is not a life," he said. He accused the hospital of having "forced to revive a child." Click on title to continue

France's National Rosary for Life Sparks Pro-Abortion Counter-Protests

By Patrick B. Craine

FRANCE, November 16, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - To mark their 23rd anniversary, the French pro-life group SOS Tout-Petits held their annual National Rosary for Life on Saturday, sparking heated protests from the country's pro-abortion activists.

Catholics gathered to pray outside cathedrals and churches in at least 28 cities throughout France, as well as in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Philippines. In many of these cities, the peaceful event attracted large anti-Catholic counter-demonstrations.

For example, at the St. André Cathedral in Bordeaux, police were called to the scene as a large crowd opposed the 150 people gathered to pray. The crowd carried pro-abortion signs and shouted "Caca Catholic," "Mary, Jesus, we f*** you," and "If Mary had had an abortion, we wouldn't have this sh**." At the St. Étienne Cathedral in Toulouse, the protesters were held back by police. At St. Nicolas in Nantes, they threw eggs.

Videos of some of these protests can be found on YouTube here and Daily Motion here.

This is some indication of the agenda behind the anti-life mob. This is not the first time that Catholics were pesecuted in Nantes...

Jhesu+Marie,
Brantigny